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While more than 1,200 codechange proposals were submitted for the 2012 International Green Construction Code, fewer than 600 were submitted for the 2015 IgCC. However, some of these proposals are challenging the code’s basic parameters.
Among them is the relationship between the 2015 IgCC and the International Code Council 700/National Association of Home Builders National Green Building...more »

Typically, the adoption and enforcement of a new edition of the model codes doesn’t start to take hold until at least a year after the codes are published. With regard to the 2012 International Codes there seems to have been some delay, but more jurisdictions are now enforcing them: According to the ICC website, as of late January 2014, the 2012 International Building Code was...more »

After several rounds of revisions and stakeholder feedback, the Environmental Protection Agency issued the final criteria for Energy Star Version 6.0 for Windows, Doors and Skylights this January. It traces a two-year path of give-and-take between the EPA and the fenestration industry, culminating in a challenging, yet―compared to the initial draft―reasonable compromise.
While the window criteria...more »

In 2012, the requirements of the 2015 ICC Group A codes were determined. The ICC Group A codes consist primarily of the International Building Code, and the IBC is the parent code of the ICC family of codes.
In 2013, the requirements of the 2015 ICC Group B codes were determined. The ICC Group B codes consist of the International Residential Code, International Fire Code, International Existing...more »

Courtesy of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association
The family of International Codes published by the International Code Council is the most widely used set of model codes in the history of U.S. construction codes. In addition to their widespread use throughout the 50 states, numerous federal agencies—including the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Defense...more »

As 2012 drew to a close, we were waiting for the sequestration shoe to drop. This year, we are in a similar but much less publicized situation with regard to the fate of quantitative easing.
Quantitative easing, or QE, is a federal monetary policy that the government occasionally resorts to when standard monetary policy becomes ineffective, to pump more money into the economy...more »

My daughter, Maria, taught our family about evolution. She explained to us that when living organisms—whether plants or animals—develop characteristics that uniquely suit their survival under specific conditions, those organisms become dominant over time. Over more time, the organisms that fail to adapt cease to exist. Some refer to this as “survival of the fittest...more »

“What role should the government play in our daily lives?” This question has been debated for centuries, with no clear answer.
The question takes an interesting twist when we consider it from a building code perspective. Code enforcement is, by its very nature, a branch of government that reaches into where we live, work and play. From the moment we wake in the morning—and even...more »

A new law will soon go into effect in New Jersey requiring home improvement contractors to wear a state-issued ID badge at all times. According to an article on the Remodeling Magazine website, the law is designed to help protect homeowners from scam artists in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
The badge must be worn on the upper left torso of the contractor "whenever the...more »

While this column is generally devoted to happenings in the residential fenestration industry, there have been some negative developments in the commercial energy code arena in recent years that deserve everyone’s attention. In 2010, the fenestration industry successfully blocked a proposal to amend ASHRAE 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential...more »